Over 294 kidnapping cases daily in India, highest in UP: NCRB

New Delhi: More than 1 lakh kidnapping and abduction cases were registered across India in 2022, an average of over 294 daily or more than 12 every hour, with the maximum FIRs being lodged in Uttar Pradesh, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.

In 2022, the average rate of crime per lakh population for the country was 7.8, while charge sheeting in such offences stood at 36.4, according to the report.

As many as 1,07,588 kidnapping and abduction cases were reported in the country in 2022 while the figure last year was 1,01,707 and 84,805 in 2020, the NCRB, which functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, said in its annual crime report.

A total of 1,10,140 people, including 21,278 males, 88,861 females and a transgender were reported kidnapped or abducted during 2022, out of which 76,069 -- 13,970 males and 62,099 females -- were children and 34,071 -- 7,308 male, 26,762 female and a transgender -- were adults, it stated.

During 2022, a total of 1,17,083 kidnapped or abducted people -- 21,199 male, 95,883 female and one transgender -- were rescued out of which 1,16,109 people were rescued alive and 974 were found dead, the NCRB said.

Delhi registered 5,641 FIRs of kidnapping and abduction in 2022, 5,527 in 2021 and 4,062 in 2020, according to the report of the NCRB, which is tasked with the collection and analysis of crime data.

However, the national capital recorded the highest rate of crime of 26.7 per lakh population and the worst charge sheeting rate of 7.8 among all states and Union Territories across the country, the NCRB data showed.

Uttar Pradesh lodged a maximum of 16,262 cases in 2022, up from 14,554 in 2021 and 12,913 in 2020. However, the crime rate in the state stood at 6.9 and the charge sheeting rate was 43.7, both better than the national average, the NCRB data showed.

Maharashtra logged 12,260 cases in 2022, up from 10,502 in 2021 and 8,103 in 2020. The crime rate stood at 9.8 and the charge sheeting at 20.9.

In Bihar, 11,822 FIRs were registered in 2022, 10,198 in 2021 and 7,889 in 2020.

The crime rate during the year was 9.4 while the charge sheeting rate was 63.

In Madhya Pradesh, the figures stood at 10,409 (2022), 9,511 (2021) and 7,320 (2020). The crime rate in 2022 stood at 12.1 while charge sheeting at 26.2.

In West Bengal, the figures stood at 8,088 (2022), 8,339 (2021) and 9,309 (2020). The crime rate in 2022 stood at 8.2 while charge sheeting at 69.4.

In a note of caution about the annual report, the NCRB said the primary presumption that the upward swing in police data indicates an increase in crime and thus a reflection of the ineffectiveness of the police is fallacious.

"'Rise in crime' and 'increase in registration of crime by police' are clearly two different things, a fact which requires better understanding. Thus an oft-repeated expectation from certain quarters that an effective police administration will be able to keep the crime figures low is misplaced,” it stated.

Increase in crime numbers in a state police data may, in fact, be on account of certain citizen-centric initiatives, like "launching of an e-FIR facility or women helpdesks," it said.

"The increase or decrease in crime numbers, however, does call for a professional investigation of underlying factors pertaining to the local communities to suitably address the pertinent issues,” it added.